Scientific English and transdisciplinary projects

Part 1: Scientific English

Basic knowledge of English.

Basic knowledge of life and health sciences.

Part 2: Transdisciplinary Project

Seminars for the transdisciplinary project, focusing on the development of a written paper that follows the guidelines for a scientific document (figures, tables, bibliography) and the preparation of an oral presentation (PowerPoint) by groups of 3–6 students.

Apply knowledge of health and life sciences, as well as one’s proficiency in English, to understand and analyze a scientific text or presentation in English or French
Be able to summarize a scientific text or presentation in English and French and present it briefly and clearly to an audience
Be able to answer questions related to the work mentioned above.
Be able to consult the global scientific literature or participate in continuing education events (conferences, symposia, lectures, seminars) in English and French to stay informed about new scientific advances in any field related to professional practice
Evaluate the quality and reliability of a bibliographic source
Write a scientific report in accordance with established guidelines, i.e., without plagiarism
Use computer tools such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint
 

Required and corequired courses

Part 1: Scientific English (1st semester)

Flipped classroom: Several sessions will be held online, featuring explanatory videos, exercises, and mandatory online assessments. These sessions will be followed by in-person practice sessions.

Interactive in-person sessions in small student groups.

Reading of scientific articles in English followed by a discussion

Listening to scientific presentations in English on a topic related to “Life Sciences” or “Health” followed by a discussion

Written and oral exercises based on the texts and lectures prepared in advance.

Attendance or participation in these sessions is mandatory, which requires students to attend at least 75% of them; any absence must be justified by a medical certificate or other supporting documentation. If justified absences exceed 25% of the activities, the examination committee may fail the student in the course in question.

Part 2: Transdisciplinary Project (2nd semester)

Seminars explaining how to successfully complete a group project.

Project-based learning method. Students form groups of 3–6 around a topic and organize themselves to share the work: literature review, writing, and project presentation. These various stages are supervised by a faculty advisor (depending on the topic chosen). Several meetings are scheduled throughout the year.

A training MOOC on documentary research, “Whats’Up Doc,” is offered in the form of several modules to be viewed throughout the year.

References, bibliography, and recommended readings

Lecture notes for the relevant courses.

Visual resources are available in the computer lab.

Reference books are available at the Faculty library, at the ULB library, and as e-books.

Recommended readings will be sourced from high-quality scientific databases, such as ScienceDirect, PubMed, etc.

Contacts

Stéphanie POCHET : stephanie.pochet@ulb.be
Kelsey HULL : ULB langues: Kelsey.Hull@ulb.be
Franck MEYER : Franck.Meyer@ulb.be
François DUFRASNE: francois.dufrasne@ulb.be
Caroline STEVIGNY: Caroline.Stevigny@ulb.be
Veronique FONTAINE: veronique.fontaine@ulb.be
Nathalie WAUTHOZ: Nathalie.Wauthoz@ulb.be
Hassan JIJAKLI: Hassan.Jijakli@ulb.be
David VERMIJLEN : David.Vermijlen@ulb.be

Campus

Plaine

Method(s) of evaluation

• written examination
• Continuous assessment
• Oral presentation
• Group work
• Other
• Written report

written examination

Continuous assessment

Oral presentation

Group work

Other

Written report

Part 1: Scientific English: 1st quarter

Continuous assessment (group or individual exercises, completed online or in person) and a written exam in January

Part 2: Transdisciplinary Project: 2nd quarter

Preparation of a written report by group and an oral presentation according to the schedule that will be posted in due course. The project is divided into several intermediate stages, each of which is subject to evaluation. Failure in any one of these stages will result in an overall failure for this assignment and will prevent the student from proceeding to the final oral defense.

The bibliographic research MOOC concludes with a test.

The use of artificial intelligence is prohibited for writing reports and taking exams.

Students who have not submitted a first draft to their advisor, and who consequently were unable to defend their project during the first session, will not be allowed to present it during the second session. Their project will automatically be carried over to the following year.

Mark calculation method (including weighting of intermediary marks)

The course runs over two four-month terms. It will therefore include two assessments: one for the first four-month term (50% of the final grade) and one for the second four-month term (50% of the final grade). The entire course will be considered passed if the overall average is at least 10/20. It is not possible to pass only part of the course unit. Therefore, if a grade lower than 10/20 is obtained in either of the two parts of the course unit, that grade will become the final grade for the unit, and the failed component must be retaken during the second session.
In addition, the final test for the bibliographic research MOOC must be passed in order to pass this course unit.

Part 1: The grade will be calculated as follows: continuous assessment (50% of the Q1 grade) / written exam (50% of the Q1 grade). If this activity must be retaken in the second session, the grade will be based on the second-session written exam (50%) and the Q1 continuous assessment (50%).
Part 2: 50% of the final grade (criteria assessed for this entire section: written assignment [content and form], document presented during the presentation [content and form], quality of the oral presentation in English, and responses to questions).

Language(s) of evaluation

• french
• english